WAMEGO - Bessie Ann Day, 62, died March 14 at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Born on Sept. 21, 1949, in Lyons, she was the daughter of the late Anna Marie Geist and Robert Melville Hawkins. Bessie Hawkins was united in marriage to James Day in June of 1976. They had three children and were later divorced. She attended and graduated from Lyons High School in 1967, and attended Brown Mackie College in Salina from 1967-1968, graduating with an associate degree in business. Early in her life she worked on Wall Street, before beginning her career at McCall Pattern Co ...

COUNCIL GROVE - Wanda Lee Converse, 80, longtime resident of Council Grove, passed away March 20 at St. Francis Hospital after a long illness. She was born Nov. 5, 1931, in Hoisington, to Marvin and Mary (Clift) Jones. She married Leon Converse Jr. on Feb. 11, 1978, in Council Grove.

GREAT BEND -- Jerome F. "Jerry" Becker, 75, died March 18 at Great Bend Regional Hospital. He was born Nov. 17, 1936, at Fullerton, Neb., the son of Hubert and Ann (Stavas) Becker. He married Sheila Ann Brenner, Oct. 22, 1960, at Denver, Colo. He was owner and operator of Becker Shoe Repair in Great Bend for 38 years, and Becker Shoe Repair in Denver for 14 years.

Articles by Section - Obituaries

HOISINGTON - Eugene H. Bitter, 84, died Feb. 22, at Clara Barton Hospital, Hoisington. Born March 30, 1930, on the family farm near Susank, he was the son of Julius and Emilie (Schmidt) Bitter. A lifetime resident of Hoisington, Eugene was a farmer, stockman and fisherman.

ALBERT - LoRay D. George, 83, died Feb. 21, at Rush County Memorial Hospital Long Term Care in La Crosse. Born Sept. 1, 1931, in rural Albert he was the son of Herman "H. D." and Hilda "A. C." (Tammen) George. On Aug. 21, 1959, he married Anna Mae Wheeler at Peace Lutheran Church in Albert. She preceded him in death Feb. 3, 2002. A lifelong resident of Rush County he was a farmer.

LARNED - Larry L. Fleske, 55, passed away Feb. 20, at the Pawnee Valley Community Hospital in Larned. Born Oct. 9, 1959, in Great Bend, he was the son of Walter W. and Rena J. Eveleigh Fleske. On Jan. 14, 1989, he married Sharon L. Horne in Great Bend. She survives. A lifetime area resident of Larned he was farmer/stockman.

LARNED - Mary Beth Herrmann, 59, died on Feb. 18, at Diversicare of Larned. Born Feb. 23, 1955, in Kinsley, she was the daughter of Quentin J. and Lucy W. Tholen Herrmann. She graduated from Barton County Community College with an A.A. in Nursing and from Barclay College with a B.S. in Business Administration. A lifetime area resident, she was a Registered Nurse and Administrator at the Pawnee County Health Department.

BISON - Ella Marie Steitz was born Jan. 9, 1934, in Bison in Rush County, the daughter of Jacob and Ella (Schaumburg) Scheuerman. She was adopted and raised by her parents, Constain and Florence (Scheuerman) Steitz. She graduated from Bison High School in 1952 and attended Fort Hays College. After living in Denver, Colo. for 31 years, she retired from Shell Chemical and returned to Bison in 1988.